While mourning my inability to eat the vegetarian meat with my salads that I had found so tasty, I came upon a very interesting ebook that quickly helped me get over my hankering for that product.

In my searching about protein and all things raw I happened upon one of the pages online and learned so much that it is going to take me some time to digest it all… love the pun!

General Overview

I will just touch lightly in this journal on what I have learned because it leans itself to the motivation for dropping all processed proteins from my diet. I will do a detailed article later on the subject.

Altered Protein

When dietary protein is processed in any way, such as cooking or freezing, the protein molecules link differently with carbohydrate molecules, thus creating a new type of molecule. This process is called the Maillard Reaction.

Certain amino acids are destroyed with this processing, leaving a sort of blank where it linked with other amino acids to form the dietary protein. The whole nature of the protein then changes. This then links with sugars present.

The new combination creates a problem in digestion. The enzymes will not recognise the target amino acid required in the processed dietary protein.

Enzymes are specialists

Some amino acids can be manufactured by the body with raw materials, but others must be be obtained through the intake of dietary protein. Enzymes will work on this dietary protein to break it down into the required amino acids. But these enzymes are specialists having the capability of cutting loose one or maybe a few specific amino acids from the dietary protein consumed. If some form of processing has changed the molecular structure of even one of the amino acids that the specialist enzyme must separate, then the linked amino acids will not match the enzyme’s target amino acid and it will remain unseparated.

Unseparated Amino Acids

Free amino acids are quickly absorbed into the blood and transported to the different organs for renewal purposes.

However, should there be a large proportion of unseparated amino acids the blood is unable to transport any of them and the body must use the alternate form of transport: the lymph. This happens a lot slower pace than with the blood. The body does not want to lose the value of the nutrients locked up in these unseparated amino acids.

Cellulite

The lymph will take these unseparated amino acids and dump them in the skin until they can be retrieved and processed into useable amino acids for reconstructive purposes at a later time. This usually happens when digestive processes have quietened down.

However, should there be an excess of unseparated amino acids, the system can become overwhelmed, and the storage of these nutrients increases in the skin. Extra water is needed for this storage and water retention occurs. The skin’s connective tissues are stretched giving the lumpy effect of cellulite.

Cellulite can be reversed by simply abstaining from eating processed proteins; this includes all proteins that are cooked or frozen.

More easily said than done, to be sure, but definitely motivation enough to give it a very good try I would think.